I have Splendide non vented combo in my bus. We don't seem to use it much, but are thinking once we start on longer trips, we might. I'm still ishing whether or not to install one in my truck. I would use the Splendide vented version. I know that Sean and Louise do NOT have one, and just stop at a laundromat about every two weeks. What's everyone elses opinion on having an on board washer/dryer? If you do, do you have the combo unit (all in one) or separate washer and dryer? Thanks, Good Luck, TomC
We had the distinct pleasure of watching a drug deal being made at a laundromat in florida, watched gang members gathering at one in alabama, we decided that laundromats were probably not going to start spring up in the 'safer' areas of towns and the great majority of them at campgrounds left much to be desired, so I bought a washer/dryer non vented combo, it worked out very well for us but libby wanted a vented model so we went that way, both are splendide units and work great, the vented model seems to dry quicker but it has certainly made our lives easier and in my opinion, safer. Ours is mounted in the center bay of the bus instead of upstairs in a closet mainly because we have the height in the bay to accomodate the unit and it only takes up a 2ft square spot, libby will put a load in and as we go down the road it's washing and drying lol, we get to our campground and the clothes are clean and ready to be folded and put away. It does raise some eyebrows when I open the bay and the neighbors seem surprised that we can do laundry while going down the road, at one campground it went into the spin cycle as I was talking to the park ranger and signing in, he heard it and asked what the ,,,,, that sound was, I told him it was the turbo on my jet engine cooling fan, he looked at me and said oh ok lol, (when it goes into spin it sounds like a jet taking off lol.) Life is fun lol.
TomC all depends on who is doing the washing my wife will not use a laundromat period after watching some woman throw dirty diapers into the machines without cleaning the crap out of them.
I would go with a stackable set if you have room we have the all in one it does a good job washing but the drying parts sucks (vented) but she likes it she has it figured out on the drying time.
The all in one may work for you just do small loads at a time.
good luck
Hi Tom,
Yes we have a Splendide VENTED in the bus.
We wouldn't do with out it.
When we're gone for a few months it seems to get use every other day while we're having breakfast.
If it were to break down today we would get another.
When we're on the road we run a load or two from the inverter.
When we arrive we have clean stuff and don't need to spend time at the laundromat.
Frank
We are in our 7th year of fulltiming in a 35ft. 5A. The PO did not put one in when he converted it and the way it is set up we do not really have room to put one in. The last few years we have been renting a lot in the Yuma area that has a casita with a washer in it. We are there for about 6 months or so. The rest of the time we spend up north where i work for part of the summer usually. We usually stay in a park with laundry facilities. Right now we are in a park with no facilities but there are 2 laundromats in town so it is not a big deal. Even if we had the room i don't think i would want one,.....just more stuff to eventually break down and have to hassle with. :)
We have a Splendide non-vented. My wife uses it for her stuff, I just dump mine in our park washer and dryer. If/when ours breaks I want a stackable unit. I would not do without having one, it's a necessity in my opinion.
Paul,you may be in for a long wait for that little washer to break I have been waiting for years so far it has cost a 2 dollar o-ring at the cleanout on the bottom LOL
good luck
We have the small kenmore front loading stackers. but we also live pole to pole for 50 amp.....
I have the LG nonvented combo. I wish it were vented -- it's cheaper for me to use a laundromat than to run the genset long enough to wash and dry in the nonvented unit, so the only time I use it is when I'm on shore power.
Laundromats can be a drag, so having one's own unit is nice. We had a non-vented combo the last place we lived. I would definitely not get one again unless there were no other option. The vented combo could be okay. We do not have one in the bus. At this point, we have not used the bus for more than a week or so at a time, so laundry has not been an issue. Since we tend to use campgrounds, gangland laundry has also not been a problem. Further, I do not think we have the room for a unit. All that stated, if you have the room and will be doing laundry on the road a lot, it would certainly make life more pleasant. If unsure, you could allot a space with proper hookups and just use it as a closet and see how things go.
Another option for travelers is that many laundromats also have laundry service, so you can drop off, do your errands and then pick up. Yes, it is more expensive than doing it yourself, but generally still pretty cheap.
Tom,
We have Bosch stackable 220v and my wife loves them.Been fulltiming for over 7 years and using a laundrymat is out of the question.
Don
If I was full-timing, or even staying out for two or three months at a time, I'd install a washer/dryer. Maybe in the bays, that might be cool... But for shorter trips we just take two or three weeks worth of clothes and wash for a few days when we get home...
Brian
We don't have a washer or dryer Tom. We're plumbed and wired for them but we wouldn't want to give up the space. Right now the washer/dryer space is pantry and we really like to eat. We just let the laundry pile up for 2 or 3 weeks and then park in front of a laundromat for about 3 hours. Sometimes the camp laundry is sufficient but they can be dodgy and the old women in camp frown on anyone tying up too many machines at once.
been fighting concept for years but have been shown the light by Judy..will have both as part of the rear bath in the new coach (to us ) stacked on right side with toilet toward front,sink in center and shower and closet on opposite wall..so yes..Bob
I have an older Splendide. The deciding factors for me were the 12 Gal. of water it used per load, and, it won't hold much more than 2 pair of jeans.
We'll go 2 weeks before needing to do laundry. We stay at a nice place, ($$$), with nice facilitys, pool, jacuzi, store, laundry etc... at least once in 2 weeks. You can only carry/hold just so much water, anyway, before going somewhere to dump/refill. So pick out a nice place to stay as needed.
Don & Sheila
Our MC8 had a Splendide vented combo unit when we got it. It appears that it has been used very little in the nearly 15 years the PO had the bus. We took it out. BOY! was that thing heavy. We made better use of that space. In the over 20 years we had our GM 4106 we did laundry at laundromats. We never experienced any problems anywhere and liked the convenience of getting laundry done every two weeks or so in about 2 1/2 hours instead of every other day for two hours.
Just our way, Sam MC8
I've heard the combo units take forever to complete a load of clothing & end up using a lot more energy than a common washer/dryer set would in your home. I thought of the stackable's, but never really liked them. I don't like to bend over to pick things up if at all possible, so I was thinking of using side by sides with overhead cabinets instead of a stackable with pantry next to it.
I was wondering how most folks install them though... Do most folks allow for enough hallway space for swapping appliances out? Or, do they usually install them, build around them, & hope nothing goes wrong or breaks?
Drying is the problem with the Splendide or any other all in one, a dumb idea from the Sweds thinking you can dry with moisture takes over a hour and they are still damp
good luck
You could join a few of those "Panty of the Month" clubs and just have new bloomers arriving regularly :D ;D
or
You could save energy and the earth by using one of those new Green Energy Clothes dryers. Going down the road you could have it use waste heat from the bus or possibly work out solar energy when parked. You would be doing your part for the environment and maybe save a buck or two.
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=117266 (http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=117266) (no reference or interest , just found on google)
We use a solar dryer when on the lot in Yuma.......its called a clothes line. ;D
Gotta luv dat "Dry Heat' lol, and having a pressure washer is the coolest thing LOL! ;D
YES !
First conversion was PD4108 with a bunk opposite the bathroom. No way to fit in a washer/dryer.
Second conversion was an MCI 102A3. When we bought the bus DW said"Washer?"
I replied "Washer and dryer." We kid each other about how difficult and time consuming the chore of doing the laundry. ;D
Seriously on board laundry is great. e chose a Fridgedare full size set. Efficient for water usage. Propane for the dryer. That means no 220V AC to worry about. Use a 25 lb propane bottle about every three to four months including the gas stove usage. We have used the units going down the road to give the waste tank a good flush with the soapy water.
This feature was a MUST for Pat. Most laundromats are not fun and take up your time. Often times they are quite hot and Pat does not do well with high temperatures due to her medication. One of the issues we have to address is to make sure our company shirts are washed between shows. Often times we are short of time, but with the washer and dryer, we can do the wash in the evening in combination with other activities that need to get done.
We have an apartment stack system. The washer is a front load, so it is pretty water efficient. We do not have propane on board, so we have to have 220V. That is generally not an issue. We do our wash when we have 50 AMP available, or run the generator.
Wiring a 10KW generator for 220V is a bit controversial (12KW and greater is no issue according to Dick Wright). With the 10KW you have to be careful about balancing the loads on the two legs. I have ammeters on both legs and have gotten pretty good about shedding loads if the balance gets off too much. As it turns out, the generator head for our unit is a 12KW, so load sharing is not quite as big of an issue, but I am still pretty careful.
Well, in planning and starting the conversion on our MCI-9, I swore I had no use for a washer in it, and woul djust use the laundromat if I need laundry. . faster. .. . more space, yada yada yada.
Then we bought this bus, and it already had a Spendide in it, and during our first trip, when parked with hookups, I was amazed at how quickly I changed my tune, ha ha. It sure was convenient to throw a load in and come back later to washed and dried clothes. These days, even though I swear someone had invented permanent press clothes, I find I have to iron my blouses and Larry's shirts anyway, so I really have to admit that even though this darn Prevost has WAY smaller bays than that 4107, I haven't pulled out that washer to use the space for other stuff. Guess that sums it up, Christy HIcks
Well we are with Christy on this one, we built our bus without one but now we find that Bus Life would be better with one. I better start loking. M&C ;D
Rather then ironing, try using a steamer. I have one at home and am going to build one into the truck they work so well. If you want really crisp look for formal wear, you'd still have to iron. But for everyday wear, you can't beat the speed of a steamer. Good Luck, TomC
I'm even more wrinkly than my clothes so it really doesn't matter to me, I did find out tho that after a while the wrinkles on the clothes tend to match up with the wrinkles on me, kinda cool effect, ala naturale lol.
So maybe, if I leave my clothes REALLY wrinkled. . . it'll make my OWN wrinkles less noticeable? ::) :D Christy
Thats the plan lol, works for me so far lol. libby suggested that an extra 40 pounds would help fill in the wrinkles but I told her I can't wear clothes that heavy lol.
We put a full size, front loading set in the new bus. Didnt have them in the old bus. I hated using the laundermats, or truck stops. Do yall remember when they be to be called washateria in the south? Some still are.
I was thinking of a full size front loading set as well. How much depth did they take up? Where did you place the vent? Just curious. I'm trying to figure all this stuff out before I settle on a bus. I'm thinking I may need to go with a 102" wide instead of a 96" wide.
I guess we just carry too much "stuff". We do not have room in our coach for a washer/dryer and do not want to leave any of our "stuff" at home. Heck, we have so much "stuff", we have to haul part of it in our Grand Chewrokee LOL. We usually go about 2-2 1/2 weeks, then spend about 3 hours at a laundromat and we are done for another 2 weeks or so. We have always managed to find nice (clean, air conditioned) laundromats. Whatever works for you situation. YMMV Just "our way". Jack
I have a 102" wide (transit) and that extra 6" width really makes a big difference. Now if you're putting in slide outs ($$$) the extra width isn't as important.
The Splendide is less then 24" deep. Splendide makes three versions- ventless (which I have and has long drying times-with the clothes still damp after 1 hour. Hanging up for another hour inside takes care of that), vented (both of these are washer and dryer in one), and now they make a separated stack version-but runs on 120vac. Good Luck, TomC